Key performance indicators of COVID-19 contact tracing in Belgium from September 2020 to December 2021

ABSTRACT

BackgroundContact tracing aims to prevent onward transmission of infectious diseases and data obtained during tracing provide unique information on transmission characteristics. A key performance indicator that has been proposed to evaluate contact tracing is the proportion of cases arising from known contacts. However, few empirical studies have investigated the effectiveness of contact tracing. MethodsUsing data collected between September 2020 and December 2021 in Belgium, we investigated the impact of contact tracing on SARS-CoV-2 transmission. We compared confirmed cases that were previously identified as a close contact to those that were not yet known, in terms of their traced contacts and secondary cases as well as the serial interval. In addition, we established contact and transmission patterns by age. FindingsPreviously traced, hence known, cases comprised 20% of all cases and they were linked to relatively fewer close contacts as well as fewer secondary cases and a lower secondary attack rate compared to cases that were not already known. In addition we observed a shorter serial interval for known cases. There was a relative increase in transmission from children to adults during circulation of the Delta and Omicron variants, without an increase in the extent of contact between these age groups. InterpretationThese results suggest that contact tracing in Belgium has been effective in reducing onward transmission and that individuals aware of their exposure to SARS-CoV-2 seemed more reserved in their social contact behaviour. Data from a reference period or region are needed to measure the impact of contact tracing in terms of the number of cases and deaths averted.